Dealing with Thick Nasal Skin During Ethnic Rhinoplasty

Posted on May 9, 2018

Everyone has different facial features. When discussing rhinoplasty, the features of our nose affect the result of a rhinoplasty surgery, and these features can make a huge impact on a complex nose surgery.

Rhinoplasty is among the most common and tough facial surgeries and the presence of a thick skin can make the surgery even more difficult. To that end, a surgeon has to be extremely proficient, artistic and experienced to manage a rhinoplasty. Since rhinoplasty in the thick skin is challenging, you need to find a skilled surgeon.

Rhinoplasty is a type of surgery to improve the appearance of the nose or to improve the breathing habits, or both.

Why Rhinoplasty is Done

Rhinoplasty has the capacity to change the proportion, shape, and size of the nose. It can be used to repair deformities, improve the breathing difficulties and to correct a birth defect.

How a Rhinoplasty is Affected by Thick Skin

Rhinoplasty is a surgery that involves operating on a nose to the point of rebuilding and reshaping the cartilage and the bone in the nose. If you have a thick skin, it becomes challenging to access all these components that are in the nose. As a consequence, thick skin on the nose is less defined, making it harder for surgeons to improve the structure of the nose.

There are several reasons as to why a nose that has a thick skin should undergo a special surgical procedure:

A thick nose blocks the hard tissue and the bone which needs to be worked on

After the surgery, patients who have thick skin on the nose experience more inflammation and swelling compared to those people who have thin skin on the nose

Patients who have thick skin on their nose tend to have a delayed result when you compare it to patients who have to think skin

Techniques used for Thick Nose Skin Rhinoplasty

To improve the nose structure in patients who have thick skin, unique rhinoplasty procedures and methods are used.

Reduction of the nose size: surgeons may go ahead and reduce the overall size of the nose for it to be more delicate. This process should be done very carefully.

Reducing fat in the soft tissue: to achieve a better result, fat reduction on the soft tissue can make it a much better result, and make your nose even more defined. Of course, it is important to remove fat in a more precise delicate and conservative fashion.

Risks Associated with Rhinoplasty

Just like any other surgery and even rhinoplasty on a thin nose, rhinoplasty generally carries several risks like infection, bleeding and even reactions to the anesthesia in use. Some other risks that can be experienced include:

Scarring

Septal perforation

Discoloration, pain or swelling that persists for months

A possible outcome of an uneven nose

Permanent numbness around the nose

Having a hard time breathing through your nose

Frequent nosebleeds

How Preparation is Done for Rhinoplasty on Thick Skinned Nose

Before rhinoplasty is done, a consultation has to be done by the surgeon to discuss the factors that will determine the outcome of the surgery. Some of the issues that will be discussed are as follows:

Medical history

The most important question that you will be asked will be related to your motivation for undergoing the surgery and the goals that you want to achieve. You will be asked about your medical history including any surgeries that you have had in the past and the medications that you have been taking. This is done to check if you are a good candidate for the procedure. If you happen to be a patient suffering from hemophilia, a rhinoplasty procedure may not be ideal for you.

A physical exam will be done

The doctor will conduct a physical examination of your nose, and conduct other tests like blood tests. The thickness of your skin will also be examined. This will help the surgeon to determine the changes that are needed. For a thick skin or for a strong cartilage, the rest of your surgery may be affected. The physical exam is crucial to help determine your breathing after a rhinoplasty.

Photographs

Photos may be taken of your nose on different angles. These photos may be used in computer software to produce tentative results of your procedure once it’s complete. These photos will also be used in before and after assessments, and in long-term reviews.

Discussion of your expectations

Your expectations will be discussed with your doctor. Your surgeon will discuss with you about the challenges that thick skin has on rhinoplasty and how looking at the same results as those patients with thick skin on their nose is a dream that should not be expected. It is very important that you understand the possible outcomes of the surgery and be on the same page with the surgeon before the surgery takes place.

A recovery period of a rhinoplasty done on thick skin

The healing period in thick skin rhinoplasty will be prolonged . Although the primary timeline is the same for all patients, patients can get back to their daily routines after a week or two, but an inflammation can stay longer in thick skin nose.

Inflammation can last for approximately 18 months after the surgery is complete. This means that these patients will have to wait and be even more patient throughout the recovery period.